Black String of Fate

Tucked inside a comfortable bed, a young boy slowly opened his eyes to the bright morning sun. He still seemed sleepy, but his eyes regained clarity moments after he woke up.

"...So I passed out, how long has it been, Grandmaster Arkham?"

Without a presence, a man emerged from the shadows. Looking at his huge stature, it was difficult to imagine that such a man could hide in plain sight, but no one other than Xavier had noticed his presence up until now.

"It's only been about a day. Did your sensing skills improve too?"

"Everything about me has improved from that spar. Thank you, I shall remember this favor."

"Haha, what favor? I just had a spar with you to test you."

"If you hadn't taken that blow from me so sturdily, I might not have gotten that instinctive desire to create a stronger strike just to make you move. Intended or not, you have earned my favor."

Arkham was speechless for a moment before he spoke again.

"You're really mature like an old man. Alright, denying this act of goodwill will be an insult to you. I shall call upon you when needed. So, why don't we get to the point now?"

Xavier smiled as he looked at Arkham's crafty eyes. He liked these types of people, because while they wore their hearts on their sleeves, they were also smart and cunning, unlike some pure-hearted naive people out there. That attitude only suits a person in his childhood, after that, Xavier becomes repulsed by such immaturity.

"Alright. You already know what I want. My question is, is there any way for me to acquire it?"

Arkham thought over Xavier's request carefully with a distant look, and finally, he sighed and said,

"You know, you're quite lucky with your timing. Xavier, I have a question.

What do you think about flames?"

"Hm? What a weird question. Flames are flames."

"I guess I did not make myself clear. Tell me your opinion on fire, whatever that comes in mind when you think about fire."

Xavier realized that Arkham was being philosophical right now. He wanted his deep answer, to which Xavier happily obliged,

"Hmm, for me, fire is a paradox of existence, both creator and destroyer, life-giver and life-taker. It represents the raw, untamed force of nature, a living embodiment of energy in motion. Fire consumes, transforming matter into ash, but in doing so, it releases light and warmth, essential for survival and growth. It is both a fleeting moment of brilliance and a symbol of eternal transformation.

It can be seen as a metaphor for desire and passion, a force that drives us forward but can also consume us if uncontrolled. It embodies change itself, the destruction of the old to make way for the new, reminding us that creation often requires sacrifice. At the heart of fire is a fundamental truth: nothing remains static.

It is the very essence of impermanence, ever-burning and ever-shifting, symbolizing the dynamic, ephemeral nature of life."

Xavier knew very well about fire, it was the element he related the closest to. Even when he was a demon king, he used his soul like fire, burning it away for power. Xavier was sure that if he never got this chance of possessing the Celestial Mind and still somehow walked the path of a mage, he would possess the elemental affinity of fire.

"Hmm… excellent answer. I did not expect a commoner child like you to say such eloquent and profound words."

"Well, you told me to be deep with it, so… Anyway, why exactly were you asking me that?"

Arkham, after hearing that, decided to stop stalling and pulled out something from his storage ring.

It was an amulet made of clay and an large orange gemstone the size of a fist engraved in the centre. Xavier did not exactly know what it was, but he had some guesses.

"...Is this a tribal symbol of some sort?"

"Yes, it is. It's the symbol of honored guest of the Pyriel Tribe. My close friend, Nakeel Pyriel is the head of the tribe, and recently he sent a message through this for my help. I do not know what exactly has happened since I did not receive a letter, but him using this to call for me must mean it's urgent."

"...Okay, so why are you telling me this?"

"The Pyriel tribe worships the Immortal Pheonix. You said you wanted something related to the elemental mythical beasts, well, if you help them along with me, they might just gift you something that you desire.

What do you say, will you come with me?"

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Xavier heard the question and thought about it for a few moments before answering,

"Of course, this is a golden opportunity for me. But I have to ask, why did you ask me that question?"

"That fire one? Oh, I just wanted to see whether you were qualified according to their standards. The Pyriel tribe is very close-minded, it's to the point that they might deny you at their gates despite their whole village dying. They are a fire-loving tribe, so you need to have a deep interest in fire for you to be at least accepted among them, let alone get a gift from them."

"Ah, makes sense. Don't worry about it too much, I mesh with people like them strangely well."

Arkham couldn't understand Xavier's last statement, but he brushed it off and started talking about the mission.

"Listen, I'm gonna hire you as my aide through the adventurer's guild, so this can boost your reputation with you completing a C+ ranked quest. It makes matters easier too. The place where they live is about 50 days of travel away, and that is including the teleportation circles that lie on our path.

So prepare your things and be ready to leave in 3 days. I can tell that you're looking forward to leaving this place, so these three days will be the last time you see this small town for a long while. Meet up with your acquaintances and say your goodbyes, it ain't a good thing to disappear on people.